Grommet extending tool



Ap 194$, B. JAKuaowsKl 2,466,952

GROMMET EXTENDING TOOL Original Filed Jan. l, -1945 III/IAHIIIH- IIIIIIIIIIII Q IN V EN TOR.

13/1020 JakLLbmz/s/w} Patented Apr. 12, 1949 GROMMET EXTENDING TOOL Bruno Jakubowski, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Bruno Jakubowski and Alois Wolski, Chicago, ILL, copartners doing business as B. J. Machine Shop Company Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 571,001, January 1, 1945. This application April 15, 1948, Serial No. 21,280

This is a substitute for the application on Grommet extending tool, filed January 1, 1945, Serial No. 571,001, now abandoned.

Grommets, made of rather stiff rubber, are

often used as insulation or retaining means for electric wire when passed through all sorts of metallic plates or other fixtures. They are usually of round formation and of a diameter considerably larger than the diameter of aperture through which they are passed. Accordingly it is a tedious process to put a grommet within an aperture made in a fixture. Therefore, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a suitable tool by means of which a grommet of the type described may be extended through an aperture and placed in a desired position within a fixture.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a tool, substantially of a diameter of an aperture through which a grommet is to be extended, and which tool may be inserted within the aperture preparatory to the extending of a grommet therethrough, which tool may engage the grommet, and extend one end of the grommet through the aperture by proper manipulation of the tool.

With the above general objects in view and others that will appear as the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing forming a part of this application, and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views;

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view through a fixture, with a plurality of grommets in position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the tool;

Fig. 3 is a similar view, with the tool turned 90 degrees;

Fig. 4 is a similar view, with one of the jaws removed therefrom;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, and elevational view of the tool;

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of the tool with the grommet in position therein when the grommet is in the process of being extended through a fixture;

Fig. '7 is a side elevational view of the tool, on a reduced scale, passed through a fixture, with a grommet held thereby preparatory to its being extended through the fixture; and

Fig. 8 is "a similar view of the tool illustrating 3 Claims. (Cl. 218) its position and action upon a grommet during the process of extension of the latter through a fixture.

Referring in detail to the present drawing there is shown a fixture such as metallic plate [0 having a plurality of apertures H, with a plurality of grommets [2 extended therethrough and in an operative position in fixture [0. Each of said grommets I2 is substantially of a cylindrical formation and provided with a central bore l3, for passing electric wires therethrough and thereby for either retaining them within fixture ID or insulating the same therefrom. Transversely and centrally, the grommet has an annular recess M, with a resulting reduced central shank 15. The marginal portion of fixture l0 adjacent aperture H is adapted to fit within recess I when grommet I2 is extended through said aperture I I and in an operative position within fixture 10. Thus said recess l4 effects flange 16, at each end of grommet l2. In order to place grommet 12 within aperture H and in an operative position within fixture l0, one of the flanges I6 must necessarily be passed through aperture H. Ordinarily this is a difficult process due to the fact that diameter of grommet l2 and therefore of flange I6 is considerably larger than the diameter of aperture ll This problem is enhanced when the grommet is made of 'a comparatively stiflf rubber. To solve this problem the tool constituting the subject-matter of this application was designed.

The tool includes handle I! and a rigidly affixed thereto shank l 8, the latter being of a cylindrical formation, and of a diameter which is somewhat smaller than the diameter of aperture through which a grommet is to be extended, such as aperture ll.

Integrally formed with shank I8 is stationary jaw 19. The body portion of said shank, adjacent the inner end of said stationary jaw I9 is recessed at two diametrically opposite points thereof for defining recesses 20, thereby effecting a reduced lug 2 I. Receivable within said recesses 20 are leaves 22 of the bifurcated inner end of movable jaw 23. Said leaves 22 remain in a hinged pivotal relation with lug 2| by means of pin 24 which passes through said leaves 22 and lug 2!. The two jaws l9 and 23 are substantially of an identical and complementary construction, and when in a closed position, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 2, constitute a continuation of shank I8.

The outer ends of said jaws l9 and 23 are scooped to provide cavity 25. Along the rear edges of cavity 25 said jaws l9 and 23 are shaved off as shown at 2B, the narrower neck portion of cavity 25 being disposed adjacent the outer end of said jaws l9 and 23 as is clearly seen in Fig. 2.

The edgeofeachof said jaws l9 and23 adjacent the inner'end-of cavity 25 istapered as at 21 for defining a substantially V-shaped slot 28 when the two jaws are in a closed position, as is seen in Figs. 2 and 5.

To extend a grommet through aperture 1 Land to its operative position with plate-.orfixture 10, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the two jawsare first brought to a closed position showrrin Fig. 2', and the same are then extended through aperture I l, with shank I8 in said aperture. Thereupon .movable jaw 23 is angularly shifte'daway from stationary jaw I9 upon its pivot 24'to the'position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Thereupon one flange l6 of grommet I2 is placed within jawslifi and 23 so that the same remains within complementary depressions whichdefine cavity 25 when the twojaws remain: ina closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 7. When the two jaws thus engage one-flange lBofthe grommet, the shank portion thereof remains within the inner enlarged end of rrecess 26. Thereupon-ithe two jaws are graduallypulled-back throughaperture-l l, and when the pulling forceupon thetwo increases, movable jaw 23 gradually closes completely, squeezing flange lfi remaining within cavity 25, as is seen imFig-s. 6 and 8. Further pullingof the tool will gradually extendthe'same, out ofaperture H and with -it flange 16 remaining within cavity 25. During this operation shank l5 gradually shifts within the reduced outerend of recess 25, so that when the two jaws I9 and23 have been completely withdrawn from aperture=l I, by that time shank'l5 remains completely out of engagement by the two jawsand out of recess 25, with one of flanges lfi extended to theaopposite side 'of plate or fixture 10.

For. the sakeof clearness, onefiange l6 of grommet 42, in Figs. '7 and8, has been eliminated, showing shankll5 thereof in cross-section.

- Toprevent injury to flange l6 which remains within cavity 2'5 duringtheextending operation, tapers 21 are provided, because otherwise the sharp edges at .those points, would tend to pinch the rubber.

While there is described herein a preferred embodiment of the present. invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing fromthe spirit and-scope of the inventionlas claimed.

What I claim as-new-is:

1. A toolof the character described comprising =with adjacent edges substantially in abutting relation at one side of the cavity when the jaws are closed and having the adjacent edges thereof spaced apart an appreciable distance at the opposite side of the cavity when the jaws are closed. 2. A tool of the character described comprising a-shank having a jaw on an end thereof, and a movable jaw hinged to said shank for swinging movement toward and from the first mentioned jaw and to be disposed in closed position is side- 'by-side relation with said first mentioned jaw,

said jaws having concave inner faces in opposed relation co-acting to form a longitudinal cylindrical cavity therebetween adapted to receive therein a head portion of a resilient grommet, the jaws being constructed with longitudinal: adjacent edges substantially in abutting relation at one side of the cavity when the. jaws are closed to, prevent extruding of the grommet from the recess at said side thereof and having the adjacent longitudinal edges thereof spaced apart an appreciable distance at the opposite side of the cavity when the jaws are closed to receive the shank of the grommet-.therethrough.

3. A tool of the character described comprising a shank having a jawon an end thereof, anda movable jaw hinged to said shank for swinging movement toward and from the first mentioned jaw and to be disposed in closed position in sideby-side relation with said first mentioned jaw, said jaws havingconcave inner faces in opposed relation cc-acting to form a longitudinal cylindrical cavity therebetween adapted to receive therein a head portion of a resilient grommet, the jaws being constructed with longitudinal adjacent edges substantially in abutting relation at one side of the cavity when the jaws are closed to prevent extruding of the grommet from the cavity at: said side thereof and having the adjacent longitudinal edges thereof spaced apart an appreciable distance at the opposite side ofthe cavity when the jaws are-closed to receive the shank of the grommet therethrough, said cavity having a transverse recess between the spaced opposing edges thereof at the rear end of said cavity-formed by transversely extending concave portions formed in saidedges.

BRUNO J AKUBOW SKI.

No references cited. 

